Who Owns Hailo? A Look at the Tech Innovator and the Ride-Hailing Pioneer

When people ask about the owner of Hailo, they are typically looking at one of two completely different, highly successful companies that share the name: Hailo, the cutting-edge edge-AI semiconductor company, or Hailo, the pioneering London-based taxi-hailing app.

Because both brands have undergone major ownership shifts, understanding who owns Hailo depends entirely on whether you are tracking artificial intelligence microchips or urban transit.

1. Hailo AI: The Edge Processor Pioneer

• Core Business: Designer of high-performance, low-power neural network processors (like the Hailo-8 and Hailo-15) enabling edge AI applications in automotive, smart cities, and industrial IoT.
• Founders: Founded in 2017 by Israeli tech entrepreneurs and alumni of the Israel Defense Forces’ elite technology units—Orr Danon (CEO), Avi Baum (CTO), and Hadar Zeitlin (CBO).

Current Ownership Status

For several years, Hailo operated as an independent, venture-backed unicorn startup, raising over $340 million from prominent institutional investors and corporate backers like OurCrowd, the Shlomo Group, and automotive players.

However, its ownership structure changed significantly when American semiconductor giant Microchip Technology acquired Hailo. This integration brought Hailo’s advanced edge AI capabilities directly under Microchip’s corporate umbrella to expand its embedded silicon offerings.

2. Hailo (The Taxi App): The Black Cab Innovator

• Core Business: A revolutionary mobile platform designed to match urban passengers with licensed black cabs and private hire drivers.
• Founders: Launched in London in 2011 by a hybrid team of traditional London taxi drivers (Terry Runham, Russell Hall, and Gary Jackson) and tech entrepreneurs (Jay Bregman, Caspar Woolley, and Ron Zeghibe).

Ownership History and Evolution

If you are thinking of the ride-hailing app, its ownership history is a classic case of corporate consolidation within the European mobility sector:

• The Early Years: Backed by venture firms like Atomico, Hailo rapidly expanded across multiple international cities.
• The myTaxi Merger (2016): Hailo merged with myTaxi, a ride-hailing subsidiary owned by a joint venture between German automotive titans Daimler and BMW.
• The Rebranding to FreeNow (2019): To unify its multi-market European operations, Daimler and BMW rebranded the service under the FreeNow banner. Today, FreeNow operates as one of Europe’s premier multi-mobility super-apps.

Summary

• Hailo AI Chips: Owned by Microchip Technology, following its acquisition of the Israeli semiconductor innovator.
• Hailo Taxi App: Historically founded independently, its assets were integrated into FreeNow, the mobility platform jointly backed by automotive giants BMW and Daimler.